Page 27 of Fool Me Twice

Bryant jerks back like Roma slapped her, eyes wide. “Roma‍?—‍”

Horror spikes through Roma. That’s no way to talk to a purebred and fellow hunter, of course, but more importantly, that’s not something she ever should have said to her oldest friend, herbestfriend‍?—

One of the few friends she has left. “Sorry,” Roma stammers, looking away. “That‍—that wasn’t fair.”

“No, it was fair.” Bryant’s voice is quiet. “I just, um. Didn’t realize anyone else noticed.”

Roma almost snorts. “No one has ever accused you of being subtle, Nehemiah. And‍—and you did the same thing when Naomi and Sawyer defected. Acted like you never thought about them, neverlikedthem‍?—‍”

Bryant winces. “Sympathizing with dissidents is a dangerous game as a purebred, Roma. It’s a dangerous game foranyhunter, but it’s especially risky for purebreds. It can open us up to accusations that we used our power to help them. Sawyer taught me that,” she adds, a trace of bitterness snaking into her voice.

Roma’s heart hurts. “Ah.”

“And, uh.” Bryant hesitates. “For the record, it’s not turning my brainoff.It’s almost like‍—like flipping it into overdrive. I have to force myself to forget.” She looks away. “Of course I think about JJ. It’snotthinking about him that’s the hard part.”

A sharp pang twists through Roma. “I didn’t realize.”

Bryant’s lips twitch. “Guess Icanbe subtle, huh?”

Lightly, Roma punches her shoulder. “Shut up.”

This time, Bryant’s smile is genuine. Relief curls through Roma’s chest. “And I’ll try to tone it down a bit,” Bryant adds. “I didn’t realize it bothered you so much. I knew it bothered Chester, but we just tactically agreed to never discuss anything even remotely related to JJ.”

Roma’s smile falters. “How is he? Chester?”

Bryant grimaces. “Still sleeping off the magic hangover, I think. I’ve knocked on his door and texted him a few times, but no response. He’s lucky he didn’t have work today‍—he’d be dead on his feet in the prison.”

Bryant looks fairly exhausted herself. Guilt gnaws at Roma’s belly. “I’ll try to find an easier rift-opening spell,” she says softly. “Something that doesn’t leave you and Chester feeling like death if you have to maintain it for longer than usual. I promise.”

Bryant raises her eyebrows. “Or maybe we can go back to opening them when we know for sure that Laguerre‍—or another demon‍—is nearby? You said that this was just a test, right?”

If only Bryant knew what Roma was actually testing. She forces a smile. “Well, there’s no reason I can’t do both, right? Choose better locationsandmake it easier on you guys?”

“Oh, you arespeakingmy language, Gutierrez,” Bryant says, giving Roma a crooked grin. “So we’re good?”

Roma nods firmly. “Yeah. Yeah, we’re good. Thanks for being here, Bry.”

“Anytime,” Bryant says, and with one last affectionate punch to Roma’s arm, she rounds the corner and jogs away, leaving Roma alone in the hallway.

Roma counts off sixty seconds before walking out after her. Still no hunters in sight‍—most of them are probably getting breakfast‍—but she still keeps her eyes peeled as she heads towards the basement staircase.

She needs to find an easier rift-opening spell, after all. And that gives her the perfect excuse to head down to the prison. The odds of the neophyte demon already being there less than twelve hours after it was summoned to Earth are slim, but there’s still a chance.

If there’s actually something suspicious going on, at least. And Romastillhas no proof that there’s actually something suspicious going on. She scrubs a hand down her face as she strides down the hallway, frustrated. Why does she even care so much about the stupid neophytes and G. Ricci and the entire sordid mystery? If there’s a Chain demon immoral enough to send their own brethren to the Sanctum, then that should begoodnews. Granted, she doesn’t love that a hunter might be corrupt enough to work with a demon, but if the net result is furthering the Sanctum’s goals, then that’s a win, right?

Roma’s years of loyalty to the Sanctum say yes. Her gut is giving her a hard no. All her life, she’s been taught that demons are the enemy, that they’re less than human, that they’re one bad day away from going on a killing spree, but what if‍?—‍?

Unbidden, she thinks of JJ. She thinks of JJ, and for the first time, she lets herself imagine that maybe hewasn’tbrainwashed into leaving. Lets herself imagine that he used his fiercely protective nature to care for a little demon girl, lets herself imagine that he truly fell in love with Cassius Chin.

Lets herself imagine that maybe Cass fell in love with JJ, too. Roma isn’t entirely convinced that demons have the capacity forlove, but if they do? If they’re really more similar to humans than she’s always been led to believe?

If maybe, justmaybe,JJ was right to leave the Sanctum behind?

Roma shoves the thought away before she can follow it any further. No. No, generations of hunters couldn’t be wrong about this. It’s possible that JJ happened to find a few demons who are slightly less sociopathic, but that doesn’t mean the rest of them get a pass.

It certainly doesn’t mean Esmeralda Laguerre gets a pass. No matter how skilled she is as a spellcaster, no matter how well she and Roma work together‍?—

No matter how quickly she seemed to figure out Roma’s play last night.

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